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Kishwaukee College operates on a semester system with the academic year divided into two 16-week semesters (fall and spring) and a summer term, which has a variety of scheduling options. The calendar for each semester/term, which specifies holidays, withdrawal deadlines, final exam dates, etc., is published online.
- Freshman - A student who has earned less than 30 credit hours of 100/200 level credit.
- Sophomore - A student who has earned 30 or more credit hours of 100/200 level credit.
Concurrent Enrollment for Courses
Concurrent enrollment is a situation in which a course requirement may be taken at the same time as a class for which it is a prerequisite.
Corequisite is a situation that requires two classes to be taken in the same semester.
- Full-Time: Enrolled in 12 or more credit hours for a fall, spring semester and summer term.
- Part-Time: Enrolled in less than 12 credit hours for a fall, spring semester and summer term.
A normal academic course load for a student who intends to earn an A.A. or A.S. degree in four 16-week semesters is 15-18 credit hours of credit each term.
Students who wish to schedule a course overload (19 or more credit hours for a fall or spring semester, or more than 9 credit hours for the summer term), must obtain approval from their assigned academic advisor/counselor in Student Services.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
The quality of a student’s work is measured by the grade point average. The GPA is used to determine eligibility for graduation, Dean’s List honors, other honors and scholastic awards, athletic eligibility, and eligibility for financial assistance. See the Grading section of this catalog.
All class meetings are in-person in a traditional classroom setting on the Kishwaukee College campus or remote site.
Class meetings take place in a flex classroom, where students can attend either in-person or live via Zoom. For each scheduled class meeting, students may choose whether to come to campus or attend online via Zoom, depending on what works best for them on any given day.
Classes meet online at specific days and times. Instructors and students interact using video conferencing tools such as Zoom or Google Meets.
Classes will meet entirely online. There will be no specific meeting days or times required. Instructors and students interact through a course management system, email, discussion boards and other tools.
Classes take place both virtually and in a traditional on-campus classroom. These courses require a hands-on component that will meet at Kishwaukee College during a specific day and time. The online component may be synchronous or asynchronous.
Independent study (IS 200) provides an opportunity for specialized study that is not available through regular course offerings. Independent study is not approved for courses which are offered regularly by the College. A proposal for independent study must be submitted by the student to the instructor who will supervise the student’s independent study project or individualized course instruction. Formal approval must be obtained from the appropriate academic dean.
After final approval, the student must officially register for the independent study course through the Student Services Office. Credits earned through independent project study (IS 200 course enrollments) are normally applicable as open electives.
The primary objective of a minimum competency policy is to ensure that all entering students have the requisite skills and knowledge for success in college-level transfer courses. The minimum competency requires that students starting at Kishwaukee College are assessed for academic readiness at the college level in reading, writing, and/or mathematical skills. Students for whom English is not the native language will be assessed for their English language skills in listening comprehension, reading comprehension, grammar, and language usage. Students whose placement test results indicate that they will benefit from this instruction to achieve required levels of core academic competencies will be placed in developmental classes or equivalent support coursework. Individuals who are not yet ready to take Kishwaukee College developmental coursework will be referred to free programs designed to meet their needs. Academic success is the goal of the minimum competency policy; consequently, course placements made through minimum competency procedures are mandatory.
For college courses where prerequisites are required, in order to be successful, students must meet prerequisite requirements prior to enrolling in the course. Kishwaukee College uses multiple measures to assess that prerequisites have been met. This may include information taken from the high school transcript to help determine placement in Math, English, and Reading, proficiency examination, cumulative GPA, prior college coursework, or assessment through the college’s placement test (ACCUPLACER).
Assessment policies/guidelines are subject to change. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain the most accurate and up-to-date information. Please see the current information at: https://kish.edu/student-services/additional-services/testing-services/placement.php.
Prerequisites for Courses
A prerequisite is a requirement (such as a course) that must be met before a student can register for a course. Enrollment in courses with prerequisites is restricted to those students who have satisfied prerequisites. Students who have completed prerequisites at another college or university must have a transcript from that school on file in the Student Services Office before registration will be permitted.
Students who do not comply with the course prerequisite policy will be administratively withdrawn from their course enrollment(s).
At Kishwaukee College, the credit hour is the unit used to measure the educational credits earned by students. All courses offered at Kishwaukee College are assigned credit hours, which correspond to the amount of coursework required to complete the student learning outcomes of the course.
Generally, each credit hour equates to not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week, but credit hours may be awarded differently based on the type of course being taken. Credit hours are determined by the workload of a 16-week semester or the equivalent amount of work over a different period of time. For example, students enrolled in an 8-week three credit course should expect to cover the same amount of material provided in a 16-week three credit course.
To better understand expectations and course requirements, each student should expect the following from each of the different course types offered at Kishwaukee College:
- Lecture/Discussion-Oriented Courses
For these courses, one credit hour is equivalent to 15 hours of direct instruction for the course and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class work per each hour of direct instruction. For example, students who are enrolled in a three-credit course should expect three-hours of direct instruction and at least 6 hours of out-of-class study, assignments, and homework per week.
- Laboratory/Clinical-Laboratory Courses
For these courses, one credit hour is equivalent to 30-45 hours of direct instruction for the course and a minimum of one hour of out-of-class work per each two hours of direct instruction.
- Nonclinical Internship/Practicum/On-the-Job Supervised Training Courses
For these courses, one credit hour is equivalent to 75-149 hours of direct instruction for the course.
For these courses, one credit hour is equivalent to 30-60 hours of direct instruction for the course and a minimum of one hour of out-of-class work per each two hours of direct instruction.
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